1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stereoscopic image display apparatus which projects a stereoscopic still picture or moving picture to display a stereoscopic image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A projector is known which projects light to produce and display an image on a screen or the like. Generally, a projector uses a white lamp as a light source and modulates light emitted from the white lamp with a modulation element such as, for example, a liquid crystal element to form an image. The image formed in this manner is projected on a screen or the like using various kinds of lenses. Also an apparatus is known which includes a plurality of liquid crystal elements or a plurality of projectors by which images having a parallax are produced. The images produced in this manner are projected by a projection lens to display a stereoscopic image. The apparatus of the type described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-258215 (refer particularly to FIG. 4) (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
Also a display apparatus which can project a stereoscopic image is known and disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2000-509591 (refer particularly to FIGS. 1 and 9) (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2). The display apparatus has a first light emitting face for projecting light including image information picked up, for example, from multiple eye points and a second light emitting face spaced by a predetermined distance from the first light emitting face. The second light emitting face is formed from pixels disposed two-dimensionally. As light is emitted from the first light emitting face toward the second light emitting face, a stereoscopic image is formed on the second light emitting face such that it can be observed by an observer. Patent Document 2 further discloses a modified apparatus. Light fluxes from the first light emitting face (light emitting points S1, S2, . . . ) are reflected by a mirror disposed sidewardly so that it is introduced to the second light emitting face (pixels P1, P2, . . . ) (refer particularly to FIG. 9 of Patent Document 2). This is effective to reduce the pitch of the light emitting points S1, S2, . . . .